Apparatus and method for thermally demanufacturing tires and other waste products

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and process for thermally de-manufacturing tires and other materials. The apparatus is a retort chamber with various zones in which tires are combusted to provide energy for the thermal depolymerization reaction, depolymerization takes place, and products leave the retort chamber. In one embodiment, the process reacts water with iron present in steel-belted tires to produce hydrogen, which helps to break sulfur-sulfur bonds in vulcanized materials. The water also helps control the temperature of the reaction, which allows for control over the types and relative amounts of the various depolymerization products.

This application is continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/552,358, filed on Aug. 21, 2017 as the U.S. National Stage Entry ofPCT/US2017/043704, filed on Jul. 26, 2017, which in turn claims priorityfrom U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/366,827, filed on Jul. 26,2016, the contents of each of which are hereby incorporated by referencein their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for thermallyde-manufacturing post-consumer and/or post-industrial rubber and/orplastic products, such as tires.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a large interest in recycling waste materials, rather thanstoring them in landfills. This is particularly true with respect toused tires, a post-consumer waste product, and waste materials resultingfrom tire manufacture, a post-industrial waste product. Combustion ofthese materials can produce harmful gases, as they include sulfurcrosslinks (a process known as vulcanization), which form hydrogensulfide on combustion.

There are a variety of processes for depolymerizing the rubber in usedtires, including those disclosed in EP 0694600 and U.S. Pat. No.7,628,892. EP 0694600 discloses a process and a plant where used tiresare depolymerized at relatively low pressure, and at a temperaturebetween 100 and 135° C., to form gas and liquid products, which aresubsequently combusted. The temperature is maintained by introducingwater and air in the device.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,628,892 discloses a plant which includes adepolymerizing device, with a substantially cylindrical body, with anupper base, and a lower base. Thermal depolymerization of tires occursinside the device, and a product mixture exits the device and thenenters a phase separator, to separate out liquid products from gaseousproducts. The phase separator is connected to an aspiration unit, whichenables the depolymerizing device to operate at pressures up to 10 mBarlower than atmospheric pressure. The process purportedly produces acarbonaceous fuel product, and a gaseous product which is burned.

The '892 patent also discloses adding calcium oxide to tires, such that,as the rubber in the tires is depolymerized in the presence of steam,the calcium oxide is converted to calcium hydroxide, which then reactswith sulfur, and forms a salt that then mixes with the steel and carbonrecovered from the depolymerization process.

It would be advantageous to provide improved devices and processes forthermally de-manufacturing tires and other waste streams, which in someembodiments do not require added calcium salts to react with sulfur usedin rubber vulcanization processes, and which allow for desulfurizationto occur, if such is desired, outside of the retort chamber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, the invention relates to an apparatus for thermallyde-manufacturing used tires, waste material from tire manufacture, andother post-consumer and post-industrial waste.

The term “thermally de-manufacturing” refers to the thermaldepolymerization of polymeric materials, and also to thede-manufacturing of non-polymeric components. By way of example, where atire is thermally de-manufactured, it is possible to isolate organicmaterials produced as a result of the depolymerization process, and alsoinorganic materials, such as steel from steel belts, and sulfur used inthe vulcanization process, where the sulfur can be isolated in the formof sulfur-containing compounds. Where inorganic fillers are used infilled polymeric articles of manufacture, the fillers can be isolatedseparately from the thermally depolymerized articles of manufacture.

The de-manufacturing apparatus comprises a retort chamber (to herein asa retort), which, preferably, is oriented off the horizontal plane(e.g., in the vertical direction). The retort chamber can be of anydesired shape, for example, a cylindrical or conical shape, with adiameter between about 1.5 and about 24 feet, more typically betweenabout 4 and about 8 feet. The height of the retort chamber is typicallybetween about 5 and 30 feet. The side walls of the retort chamber may beinsulated to help maintain the operating temperature.

Further, as discussed in more detail below, combustion or partialcombustion of materials at or near the bottom of the retort chamber canadvantageously provide heat energy for carrying out thermaldepolymerization at a position higher up in the retort chamber. When issubstantially vertical, it allows for material to flow downward ascombustion or partial combustion takes place.

The inside of the retort chamber includes four different temperaturezones, the locations of which can vary depending on a variety offactors, such as the oxygen and water content in the retort chamber, thereaction temperature and pressure, and the type of material beingde-manufactured.

Briefly, it requires a significant amount of heat energy to initiate thethermal depolymerization of polymeric materials, such as tires. In someembodiments, this heat is provided externally, by heating the outside ofthe retort chamber, or, alternatively, by using microwave energy. Inother embodiments, the heat energy is provided by partial combustion oftires or other polymeric materials at or near the bottom of the retortchamber. Partial combustion requires at least some oxygen, though theamount of oxygen added is purposefully kept below a stoichiometricamount required to fully combust the tires. Heat rises, and the heatproduced by partially combusting a portion of the material at or nearthe bottom of the retort chamber rises up the retort chamber andprovides the energy needed to depolymerize the tires and/or otherpolymeric materials present above the portion of the retort chamber heatis produced. Where water is added, it can be used to control the amountof heat, and the water may also react in the presence of hightemperatures and, in some embodiments, steel from the tires, to formoxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen can assist in de-vulcanizing therubber in tires, forming hydrogen sulfide or other sulfur compounds, andcan hydrogenate olefinic compounds. Catalysts can be added, if desired,to lower the activation energy required for those further reactions inwhich olefinic compounds produced in the depolymerization process mayparticipate.

The composition of the materials being depolymerized, the temperature,pressure, and flow rate in the zone of the retort chamber in which theseolefinic products are formed, and the presence or absence of catalysts,hydrogen, and/or water, can affect the product mixtures formed as thematerials are depolymerized and initial products participate processsteps.

In the first zone, which is at or near the bottom of the retort chamber,material is heated to a temperature between about 150 and about 550° C.,more typically between about 150 and about 400° C. or about 250 andabout 550° C., and combusted or partially combusted. Water, a catalyst,and/or oxygen can optionally be provided. Where oxygen is provided, itcan be provided, for example, in pure form or as air, through a valve ator near the bottom of the retort chamber. Heat can be provided, forexample, by introducing a burner through an opening in the wall of theretort chamber, at or near the bottom of the retort chamber. The heatproduced by the combusting/partially-combusting the material is thenused to reach a desired depolymerization temperature. Alternatively, theheat energy can be provided by providing the bottom of the retortchamber with a layer of refractory material, and heating the refractorymaterial to a desired temperature using any of a variety of differentheaters, such as induction heaters. In other embodiments, microwaveenergy is used to depolymerize the tires and/or other materials.

In one embodiment, the bottom of the retort chamber includes a series ofregisters, where oxygen and, optionally, water and/or a catalyst isintroduced at one end of the series of registers, and flame from aburner is introduced at the other end of the series of registers. Theburner can be placed on a carriage, which facilitates its movementthrough the retort. The registers are spaced so as to providesubstantially equal pressure along the entire bottom of the retort. By“substantially equal” is meant that the pressure along the bottom of theretort chamber does not vary by more than 20%.

In operation, the reaction is moved toward the center, which provides arelatively constant rate of combustion to the materials being combusted,in contrast with merely introducing the burner to one end of theregister.

In the first embodiment a number of ports are provided to permit theinput of one or more of oxygen (for example, in pure form or as air),water, and/or catalysts, and the output of products, and to measure andmanage rate of flow, temperature, and pressure.

In the second embodiment a number of input and output ports are used tocreate multiple zones for the refinement of solid, liquid and vaporcreating multiple products.

In some embodiments, sulfur used to vulcanize the rubber in the tires isremoved inside of the retort chamber, such as by reaction with acompound which forms a sulfide salt, and in other embodiments, sulfur ispresent in the product stream, where it is optionally, but preferably,removed before products are isolated. In one embodiment, adesulfurization unit is attached to the port, so that the products canbe subjected to desulfurization conditions.

In one embodiment, a cyclone separator is used to remove particulatespresent in the vapor. If a desulfurization unit is used, the cycloneseparator can be attached before or after the desulfurization unit,though is preferably attached before the desulfurization unit tominimize particulate contamination of the desulfurization unit.

While the products exiting the retort are in the gas phase, at roomtemperature, some products are liquid, and others are gaseous. Theapparatus further includes a product separation unit, which includes oneor more cooling towers, distillation towers, chillers, curtains ofliquid through which gaseous streams can pass, and the like, to cooldown the gas and separate the product mixture into one or more liquidand one or more gaseous products.

The thermal depolymerization is typically carried out under a vacuum,for example at pressures ranging from about −0.8 to about −200millibars, more typically from about 0.8 to about −50 millibars. Inorder to achieve this vacuum, a vacuum pump or aspiration unit isattached at or near the end of the product separation unit. In oneembodiment, the pressure can be increased up to about 8 millibars,particularly as gaseous products are evolved during the depolymerizationprocess. These pressures can be reached, even when a vacuum is pulled,by off-gassing of various products. Control of the release of theseproducts from the retort can help control the pressure.

The gas products can be isolated, or, if desired, combusted. If they areto be combusted, the apparatus can include a burner or generator afterthe vacuum pump or aspiration unit. The burner can be used to generateheat as the gas is burned, and the generator can be used to generateelectricity as the gas is burned.

The top of the retort can be opened to load tires and/or other materialsto be thermally de-manufactured into the retort. This can beaccomplished by attaching the top to the remainder of the retort using aclam-shell hood, a hinge, a screw top, a series of flanges, and thelike.

It can be desirable, between batches, to cool down the retort. While, inoperation, water is typically added to the retort from a valve at ornear the bottom of the retort, during cooling operations, water can alsobe or alternatively be added from a valve at or near the top of theretort. This can significantly accelerate the cool-down process, whichallows the next batch to be processed faster than if water is not addedfrom the top of the retort chamber. While not wishing to be bound to aparticular theory, it is believed that when tires are thermallydepolymerized, iron present in the steel belts reacts with carbonmonoxide formed as a result of incomplete combustion (i.e., by usingless than stoichiometric oxygen) and the water that is introduced toform hydrogen, in a manner analogous to that in the “steam-iron”process. The thus-formed hydrogen can break sulfur-sulfur andcarbon-sulfur linkages present in the vulcanized rubber used in tires,and form hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur-containing products(including, but not limited to, COS).

Between batches, it is desirable to remove the leftover material fromthe retort. In the case of tires, leftover material can include carbonblack and steel from the steel belts in the tires. There are severalways to remove leftover material from the retort. One exemplary way isto provide a hinge on the bottom of the retort, and unhinge the bottomafter the material has been thermally depolymerized, thereby removingthe material from the retort. Another way is to provide a hinge with ahorizontal axis around the middle of the retort, and a motor forrotating the retort. After the top is removed, the retort can be rotatedaround the horizontal axis of the hinge. Materials collected at thebottom of the retort then drop out of the top of the retort. The retortcan then be rotated back to the vertical position, and any pipes,valves, or other connections which were disconnected in order to rotatethe retort can be reconnected.

In use, the retort is opened and tires and/or other materials to bethermally de-manufactured are introduced into the retort. The lid isclosed, and gases and other volatiles are purged out of the system in asafe manner. For example, nitrogen or carbon dioxide gas can be flowedinto the retort, and flowed out of the retort along with gases and othervolatiles. These compounds can be captured under pressure, released tothe atmosphere, or flared. A low pressure can then be applied. Thesystem is completely sealed and no noxious or odor based vapors arepermitted to escape.

The tires, or other material to be thermally depolymerized, that is ator near the bottom of the retort chamber is then heated up. Depending onthe mechanism used to heat the material, this can involve introducingthe burner to the bottom of the retort chamber, and bleeding in oxygen,water, and/or a catalyst through a valve so as to create a reaction withthe material, or can involve introducing oxygen, water, and/or acatalyst to the bottom of the retort chamber, while also heatingrefractory material present at the bottom of the retort chamber.

The temperature in the retort is monitored. As the temperatures reachtheir appropriate ranges, gaseous products evolve from the port orports. From there, the gaseous products can be subjected to a cyclone toremove particulates, a desulfurization step to remove hydrogen sulfideand other sulfur-containing products, and/or a cooling process to allowproducts which are liquid at room temperature to be separated from thosewhich are gaseous at room temperature. The gaseous products can becollected and stored, burned, or used to generate electricity.

As the reaction proceeds, tires and/or other materials at or near thebottom of the retort chamber are consumed, and, using gravity, materialsfrom higher above the consumed materials then proceed down the retortchamber until they are depolymerized.

After the reaction is complete, which can be judged, for example, bychanges in temperature in the various zones, the reaction can bequenched, for example, by introducing water through a valve at or nearthe top of the retort chamber.

When the retort chamber has sufficiently cooled, the water can bedrained. Ideally, the retort chamber is sealed during operations, so asto maintain the vacuum and comply with safety regulations. After eachbatch is complete, the seal can be broken, water drained from the retortchamber, and solid materials removed from the retort chamber.

In one embodiment, this involves opening a hinge at the bottom of theretort chamber to release the materials. In another embodiment, thisinvolves removing the top, decoupling the outlet port, and rotating theretort around a hinge with a horizontal axis located at or near themiddle of the retort. The materials then fall out of the top of theretort chamber, and the retort chamber can then be moved back to itsoriginal upright position.

The products obtained from thermally de-manufacturing tires tend toinclude carbon black, sulfur compounds, steel (from steel belts), aliquid, largely olefinic, fraction with properties similar to number 2diesel, methane gas, a C₂₋₄ fraction, and one or more additional gases,such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen.One or more of the olefins in the olefinic fraction can further react,for example, by undergoing Diels-Alder reactions with dienes such asbutadiene (formed, for example, from the depolymerization ofnitrile-butadiene rubber) to form cycloaliphatics, olefindimerization/trimerization/oligomerization (with the same olefins orwith two or more different olefins) to form larger olefins,hydrogenation to form aliphatics, and aromatization reactions. Removingthe solid products from the retort chamber while they are still wet canfacilitate the isolation of carbon black.

In addition to, or in place of tires, other materials that can bede-manufactured include Banbury sludge, medical waste, wood based waste,oil based waste, plant matter, animal waste, human waste, fish waste,computer waste, printed circuit boards, “fluff” from the demolition ofcars and asphalt extender.

The products resulting from the thermal de-manufacturing of thesematerials will vary from those obtained from tires, and the operatingtemperatures may be varied as well, depending on the appropriatetemperatures at which the polymers undergo thermal depolymerization.

The present invention be better understood with reference to thefollowing detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a chart showing the composition of an oil prepared by thethermal depolymerization process described herein.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of the retortchamber described herein.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of the retortchamber described herein.

FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of the retort chamber described herein.

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of an apparatus tocollect products as they leave the retort chamber.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one embodiment, the invention relates to an apparatus for thermallyde-manufacturing used tires, waste material from tire manufacture, andother post-consumer and post-industrial waste.

Definitions

As used herein, the term “retort chamber” refers to an airtight vesselin which substances are heated for a chemical reaction, producinggaseous products that may be collected in a collection vessel or usedfor further processing.

The term “thermally de-manufacturing” as used herein refers to thethermal depolymerization of polymeric materials, and also to thede-manufacturing of non-polymeric components. By way of example, where atire is thermally de-manufactured, it is possible to isolate organicmaterials produced as a result of the depolymerization process, and alsoinorganic materials, such as steel from steel belts, and sulfur used inthe vulcanization process, where the sulfur can be isolated in the formof sulfur-containing compounds. Where inorganic fillers are used infilled polymeric articles of manufacture, the fillers can be isolatedseparately from the thermally depolymerized articles of manufacture.

I. The Retort Chamber

The apparatus comprises a retort chamber (also referred to herein as aretort), which, preferably, is oriented in the vertical direction (ornot horizontal—off the horizontal plane).

Shape of the Retort Chamber

The retort chamber can be of any desired shape, for example, acylindrical or conical shape.

As discussed in more detail below, combustion or partial combustion ofmaterials at or near the bottom of the retort chamber provides the heatenergy for carrying out thermal depolymerization at a position higher upin the retort chamber. When the retort is substantially vertical, itallows for material to flow downward as combustion or partial combustiontakes place.

Diameter of the Retort Chamber

The diameter of the retort chamber is important for carrying out thechemistry described herein. The diameter is typically between about 1.5and about 24 feet, more typically between about 4 and about 8 feet. Theheight of the retort chamber is typically between about 5 and 30 feet.The side walls of the retort chamber are optionally insulated to helpmaintain the operating temperature.

While not wishing to be bound by a particular theory, it is believedthat when the diameter is within the ranges provided above, the heatfrom the combustion of tires and/or other materials can flow through theretort chamber and heat other tires/other materials, such that they havesufficient heat energy to undergo thermal depolymerization.

Temperature Zones within the Retort Chamber

The inside of the retort chamber includes four different temperaturezones, the locations of which can vary depending on a variety offactors, such as the oxygen and water content in the retort chamber, thereaction temperature and pressure, and the type of material beingde-manufactured.

In the first zone, which is at or near the bottom of the retort chamber,material is heated to a temperature between about 900° C. and about1300° C. and combusted or partially combusted. One or more of oxygen,water, and/or a catalyst can optionally be provided through a valve ator near the bottom of the retort chamber. Oxygen can be provided, forexample, in pure form or as air.

A depolymerization zone overlies the first zone, and the chemistryoccurs at a temperature between about 150 and about 550° C., forexample, between about 150 and 400° C. or between about 250 and about550° C.

Products leave the retort chamber at a zone higher than thedepolymerization zone, and the temperature at which the products leavethe retort chamber is typically between about 100 and 280° C.

Although it is possible to monitor the temperature within the actualdepolymerization zone, it can be operationally easier to monitor theprogress of the reaction by monitoring the temperature of the productmixture as it leaves the retort chamber through one or more outletports.

Near the top of the reactor, far from the intense heat provided at thebottom of the reactor, the temperature is typically in the range ofabout 60 to about 160° C.

The Bottom of the Retort Chamber

Heat can be provided to the first zone, for example, by introducing aburner through an opening in the wall of the retort chamber, at or nearthe bottom of the retort chamber. The heat produced by thecombusting/partially-combusting the material is then used to reach adesired depolymerization temperature. Alternatively, the heat energy canbe provided by providing the bottom of the retort chamber with a layerof refractory material, and heating the refractory material to a desiredtemperature using any of a variety of different heaters, such asinduction heaters.

In one embodiment, the bottom of the retort chamber includes a series ofregisters, where the oxygen, air, water, and/or catalyst is introducedat one end of the series of registers, and flame from a burner isintroduced at the other end of the series of registers. The burner canbe placed on a carriage, which facilitates its movement through theretort. The registers are spaced so as to provide substantially equalpressure along the entire bottom of the retort. By “substantially equal”is meant that the pressure along the bottom of the retort chamber doesnot vary by more than 20%.

In operation, as the burner is moved along the carriage toward thecenter of the bottom of the retort chamber, the chemical reaction,namely, burning the tires and/or other materials, is moved toward thecenter. This provides a relatively constant rate of combustion to thematerials being combusted, in contrast with merely introducing theburner to one end of the register.

Inlet/Outlet Ports

In the first embodiment a number of ports are provided to permit theinput of one or more oxygen, air, water, and/or catalysts, and theoutput of products, and to measure and manage rate of flow, temperature,and pressure.

In the second embodiment a number of input and output ports are used tocreate multiple zones for the refinement of solid, liquid and vaporcreating multiple products.

Inlet ports can be located at or near the bottom of the retort, so thatoxygen/air can be provided, and water/steam can be provided. Water canalso be provided through an inlet port at or near the top of the retort.

A valve is attached to each inlet port so as to control the amount ofmaterial that is input into the retort.

One or more outlet ports are located above the depolymerization zone, sothat gaseous products can leave the retort and then be collected.

Desulfurization Unit

In one embodiment, a desulfurization unit is attached to the port, sothat the products can be subjected to desulfurization conditions.

Desulfurization is a chemical process for removing sulfur from amaterial, such as the product stream from the thermal depolymerizationprocess described herein.

As the product stream is formed, and exits the retort chamber, it is inthe gas phase. When cooled, one or more products which are liquid atroom temperature and atmospheric pressure and one or more products whichare gases at room temperature and atmospheric pressure can be separatelyisolated.

In some embodiments, sulfur is removed from liquid products isolatedfrom the gaseous product stream. In other embodiments, sulfur is removedfrom gaseous products isolated from the gaseous product stream, or fromthe gaseous product stream.

It can be easier to remove sulfur from the gaseous product stream thanfrom separate liquid and gas streams, and for this reason, it can beadvantageous to include the desulfurization unit at a point where thegaseous products first leave the retort chamber, i.e., before they havebeen cooled and separated.

Desulfurization conditions for removing sulfur from a gas stream areknown to those of skill in the art.

Representative conditions are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No.7,687,047. In that patent, sulfur-containing gases containing H.sub.2Sand COS are contacted with a sorbent comprising a substitutional solidsolution characterized by the formula Mn_(Z)Zn_((1-Z))Al₂O₄. Othersorbent beds include alumina and/or zinc oxide.

Where the goal is the simultaneous removal of COS, SO.sub.2 andH.sub.2S, a desulfurization process typically involves contacting thegas stream, which includes one or more of these sulfur compounds with asorbent in a sorption zone to produce a product gas stream and a sulfurladen sorbent. These sorbents typically include zinc (Zn), and can alsoinclude a promoter metal, such as manganese, as well as a support, suchas alumina. The sorbent, once saturated with sulfur, can be regeneratedby contacting at least a portion of the sulfur-laden sorbent with aregeneration gas stream, in a regeneration zone, to produce a regeneratedsorbent and an off-gas stream. At least a portion of the regeneratedsorbent can then be returned to the sorption zone. Where theregeneration of the sorbent produces SO.sub.2, the gas can be containedin an appropriate storage tank, or reduced to form elemental sulfur.

In addition to or in place of removing sulfur, in one embodiment, adehalogenation unit is used to remove chlorine or other halogens fromthe gas stream. Reductive dehalogenation using heterogeneous catalyticand electrolytic methods can dehalogenate chlorinated gas-phasecontaminants while avoiding the generation of trace contaminants likedioxins because of the absence of oxygen. Due to the electronegativecharacter of halogen substituents, heavily chlorinated aliphatics arethermodynamically disposed for reductive dehalogenation by electrondonors such as elemental hydrogen (for example, reacting the gas withhydrogen in the presence of a platinum, palladium, or rhodium catalyst,optionally present on a carbon, alumina, zeolite, silica, titaniumoxide, or zirconium oxide support media). Chlorines can also be reactedwith transition metals to form covalent bonds.

Cyclone Separator/Particulate Removal

In one embodiment, a cyclone separator is used to remove particulatespresent in the vapor. If a desulfurization unit is used, the cycloneseparator can be attached before or after the desulfurization unit,though is preferably attached before the desulfurization unit tominimize particulate contamination of the desulfurization unit.

As used herein, cyclonic separation is a method form removingparticulates from the gaseous product stream, without using filters,through vortex separation. A gas cyclone is used, and rotational effectsand gravity are used to separate the solids from the gases. The methodcan also be used to separate fine droplets of liquid from a gaseousstream.

A high speed rotating airflow is established within a cylindrical orconical container called a cyclone. Air flows in a helical pattern,beginning at the top (wide end) of the cyclone and ending at the bottom(narrow) end before exiting the cyclone in a straight stream through thecenter of the cyclone and out the top.

Relatively large and dense particles in the rotating stream have toomuch inertia to follow the tight curve of the stream. When they strikethe outside wall, they fall to the bottom of the cyclone where they canbe removed in a conical system, as the rotating flow moves towards thenarrow end of the cyclone, the rotational radius of the stream isreduced, thus separating smaller and smaller particles. The cyclonegeometry, together with flow rate, defines the cut point of the cyclone,i.e., the size of particle that will be removed from the stream with a50% efficiency. Particles larger than the cut point will be removed witha greater efficiency, and smaller particles with a lower efficiency.

An alternative cyclone design uses a secondary air flow within thecyclone to keep the collected particles from striking the walls, toprotect them from abrasion. The primary air flow containing theparticulates enters from the bottom of the cyclone and is forced intospiral rotation by stationary spinner vanes. The secondary air flowenters from the top of the cyclone and moves downward toward the bottom,intercepting the particulate from the primary air. The secondary airflow also allows the collector to optionally be mounted horizontally,because it pushes the particulate toward the collection area, and doesnot rely solely on gravity to perform this function.

Those of skill in the art of oil refining know how to use cyclonicseparation, as similar separators are used in the oil refining industryto separate catalyst particles from gaseous product mixtures.

Product Separation/Cooling Unit

While the products exiting the retort are in the gas phase, at roomtemperature, some products are liquid, and others are gaseous. Theapparatus further includes a product separation unit, which includes oneor more heat exchangers, cooling towers, distillation towers, chillers,curtains of liquid through which gaseous streams can pass, and the like,to cool down the gas and separate the product mixture into one or moreliquid and one or more gaseous products.

In some embodiments, efforts are taken to collect as much of the productstream as possible which is liquid at room temperature and atmosphericpressure, and in other embodiments, efforts are taken to separate one ormore liquid products from each other.

In some embodiments, efforts are taken to collect as much of theproducts as possible which are gaseous at room temperature andatmospheric pressure in a single product stream, and in otherembodiments, efforts are taken to separate one or more gas products fromeach other.

Generally, hydrocarbon products with five or more carbons in theirchains (i.e., C₅₊ hydrocarbons) are liquid at room temperature. Gasproducts typically include one or more of carbon monoxide, carbondioxide, hydrogen gas, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, methane,ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, butane, and butylenes. Thosehydrocarbon products with from two to four carbons in their chains(i.e., C₂₋₄ hydrocarbons) can be separated from other gas products, forexample, using a de-methanizer column. Those products with from three tofour carbons can be separated from those products with two carbons, forexample, using a de-ethanizer column. Alternatively, the gaseousproducts, which tend to have a relatively high BTU value, can be burnedand used to generate heat energy or electricity, as desired.

The gaseous product stream can initially pass through one or more heatexchangers, such as a condenser, to lower the temperature of the gasstream, and obtain a first liquid product stream and a second gasstream, which is made up of the components that did not liquefy in thefirst cooling step.

This liquid product stream can be pumped to a location downstream fromwhere the gas is initially cooled, and used to create a curtain ofcooled liquid, which can then be contacted with the second gas stream.This will cool the second gas stream, and provide a second liquidproduct stream which includes the initially-collected liquids, and thoseliquids obtained by cooling the second gas stream. This process can berepeated as desired.

Generally, the first products separated from the gaseous product streamare those with the largest molecular weights, and the last productsseparated from the gaseous products stream are those with the smallestmolecular weights.

The amounts of liquid products and gaseous products will vary dependingon the nature of the feedstock and the reaction conditions. However, thetotal liquid product content (i.e., the “oil content” in tire rubberthat is thermally depolymerized using the apparatus and techniquesdescribed herein typically ranges from about 31 to about 41% by weightof the tires. The methane content is typically around 25%.

A representative product distribution is shown in FIG. 1. There is asignificant product fraction with between about 6 and 9 carbons (i.e., aC₆₋₉ fraction), a significant fraction with between 14 and 17 carbons(i.e., a C₁₄₋₁₇ fraction), and a modest fraction above C₂₄. In thisparticular product distribution, on information and belief, the polymersin the tires being depolymerized were formed from monomers with thesechain lengths, which would explain why there is little material withsizes in the C₁₀₋₁₃ range. Products lighter than C₅ are present in thegas phase, and were not subject to being analyzed. If operated atdifferent temperatures and pressures, for example, at highertemperatures and/or pressures, than those used to create this particularproduct stream, the olefins in this initial product stream can furtherreact to form olefin dimers/trimers/oligomers, can participate inDiels-Alder reactions with butadiene or other dienes to formcycloaliphatics, can become hydrogenated to form aliphatics, can undergoaromatization reactions to form aromatics, and the like.

As the boiling points of a C₆₋₉ fraction, a C₁₄₋₁₇ fraction, and a C₂₄₊fraction are so dissimilar, it is within the skill of those in the artto cool the product mixture and separate these types of fractions.

In order to manage the costs, it can be advantageous to use heatexchangers and curtains of liquid product as at least part of theproduct isolation unit.

Vacuum Pump/Aspiration Unit

The thermal depolymerization is carried out under a vacuum, which istypically on the order of between about −0.8 to about −200 millibar,more typically between about −6 to about −10 millibar. In order toachieve this vacuum, a vacuum pump or aspiration unit is attached at ornear the end of the product separation unit. In some embodiments, thepressure can increase to up to around 8 millibar, particularly asgaseous products are produced.

The gas products can be isolated, or, if desired, combusted. If they areto be combusted, the apparatus can include a burner (flare) or generatorafter the vacuum pump or aspiration unit. The burner can be used togenerate heat as the gas is burned, and the generator can be used togenerate electricity as the gas is burned.

Cooling the Retort Chamber

It can be desirable, between batches, to cool down the retort. Inoperation, water is typically added to the retort from a valve, attachedto an inlet port, at or near the bottom of the retort. During coolingoperations, water can also be or alternatively be added from a valve,attached to an inlet port, at or near the top of the retort. This cansignificantly accelerate the cool-down process, which allows the nextbatch to be processed faster than if water is not added from the top ofthe retort chamber.

Temperature Monitoring

There are a variety of ways to monitor temperature inside a reactor,such as the inside of a retort chamber. Examples include temperaturegauges, thermocouples, thermometers, and/or thermostats. Thermometerscan be preferred in those zones where the products of the thermaldepolymerization leave the retort chamber (i.e., above thedepolymerization zone), as the temperature typically ranges from about100 to about 280° C., and these are temperatures which can be measuredusing a thermometer. However, near the bottom of the reactor, wheretemperatures exceed about 900° C., and in the depolymerization zoneitself, where temperatures are between 250 and 550° C., a thermocouplemay be a preferred way to measure the temperature.

Top of the Retort Chamber

The top of the retort can be opened to load tires and/or other materialsto be thermally de-manufactured into the retort. This can beaccomplished by attaching the top to the remainder of the retort using aclam-shell hood, a hinge, a screw top, a series of flanges, and thelike.

The top of the retort chamber can be equipped with one or more inletports, and valves attached to the ports, to allow water to flow into theretort. Alternatively, the inlet port(s) and valve(s) can be positionedbelow the actual top of the retort chamber, but in the upper third ofthe retort, so that the valves/ports do not have to be detached when thetop is opened, non-combusted materials are removed, and the next batchof materials to be depolymerized is added.

Removal of Solid Material from the Retort

Between batches, it is desirable to remove the leftover solid materialfrom the retort. In the case of tires, leftover material can includecarbon black and steel from the steel belts in the tires. There areseveral ways to remove leftover material from the retort. One exemplaryway is to provide a hinge on the bottom of the retort, and unhinge thebottom after the material has been thermally depolymerized, therebyremoving the material from the retort.

Another way is to provide a hinge with a horizontal axis around themiddle of the retort, and a motor for rotating the retort. After the topis removed, the retort can be rotated around the horizontal axis of thehinge. Materials collected at the bottom of the retort then drop out ofthe top of the retort. The retort can then be rotated back to thevertical position, and any pipes, valves, or other connections whichwere disconnected in order to rotate the retort can be reconnected.

II. Materials that can be Thermally De-Manufactured

In one embodiment, tires are the material being thermallyde-manufactured. The tires can come from the tire manufacturer (i.e.,post-industrial waste), from a landfill (i.e., post-consumer waste), orboth. In some aspects of this embodiment, tire scrap includesun-vulcanized rubber.

Where tires come from a tire manufacturer, the monomers resulting fromthermal depolymerization can be returned to the manufacturer, as can thesteel belts from steel-belted tires. Where the tires come from alandfill, the product mixtures can be used to generate one or moreproducts with a higher value, and lower volume, than the tires. Where adesulfurization unit is used, the products will have a low sulfurcontent, and the amount of sulfur released into the environment will besignificantly lower than if tires were merely burned.

In some embodiments, the tires are added to the retort chamber intact,and in other embodiments, the tires are cut into two or more pieces, andthe pieces added to the retort chamber.

When tires are stacked inside the retort chamber, there is a significantamount of empty space that can be filled, for example, with othermaterials to be depolymerized. A reasonable amount of void volume shouldremain, so that the heat can be transferred from the bottom of theretort chamber to the depolymerization zone. Ideally, the amount of voidspace that can be filled is less than 75% by volume, more typically lessthan about 50% by volume, and still more typically, less than about 25%by volume.

In addition to, or in place of, tires, other materials that can bede-manufactured include un-vulcanized rubber, Banbury sludge, medicalwaste, wood based waste, oil based waste, plant matter, animal waste,human waste, fish waste, computer waste, printed circuit boards, “fluff”from the demolition of cars and asphalt extender.

The products resulting from the thermal de-manufacturing of thesematerials will vary from those obtained from tires, and the operatingtemperatures may be varied as well, depending on the appropriatetemperatures at which the polymers undergo thermal depolymerization.

III. Thermal De-Manufacturing Process

In the process described herein, the top of the retort chamber isopened, and tires and/or other materials to be thermally depolymerizedare added. Typically, the tires are stacked on top of each other, fromthe bottom to the top of the retort. This way, as the tires near thebottom are combusted to provide heat energy for the depolymerizationreaction, tires stacked above the tires that are combusted can falldown, thus providing fresh feedstock for combustion, and a continuoussource of heat for the depolymerization reaction.

In some embodiments, the thermal depolymerization is carried out undervacuum, as the gases could explode if contacted with air at hightemperatures, and, as thermal depolymerization follows the principles ofLe Chatelier's Principle, namely, that to convert a polymer molecule tomany monomer molecules, a vacuum is favored, whereas to convert manymonomer molecules to a polymer molecule, pressure is favored. Typically,to ensure that the air and any volatile gases are removed, a nitrogen orcarbon dioxide atmosphere is established, for example, through an inletport, and then a vacuum is applied, using the vacuum pump or other meansdescribed herein for providing a vacuum. Gases and other volatiles whichflow out of the retort can be captured under pressure, released to theatmosphere, or flared depending on process, cost and value.

The use of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or other inert gases is optional,and establishing a vacuum is optional. Typically, the pressure at whichthe thermal depolymerization is carried out is between about −0.8 andabout −200 millibars, more typically between about −6 and about −10millibars. The system is completely sealed and little or no noxious orodor based vapors are permitted to escape.

Once air and volatile gases are purged, and a vacuum can be established,heat is added to the bottom of the reactor, heating the bottom row oftires and/or other material to be thermally demanufactured to atemperature between about 900 and 1300° C. This can be done using anysuitable means, such as by using an induction heater, heating refractorymaterial, using burners, and the like.

One particularly efficient way of introducing this heat is to have aseries of registers at or near the bottom of the retort chamber. Acombustion agent, such as air or oxygen can be introduced at one end ofthe series of registers, and flame from a burner can be introduced atthe other end of the series of registers. The burner can be placed on acarriage, which facilitates its movement through the retort. Theregisters can be spaced so as to provide substantially equal pressurealong the entire bottom of the retort. By “substantially equal” is meantthat the pressure along the bottom of the retort chamber does not varyby more than 20%.

Once the tires reach this temperature, they will combust, and produceheat. A steady stream of air or oxygen is maintained, added through aninlet port at or near the bottom of the reactor. Because the oxygen ispresent at a low concentration, and is consumed by the smoldering tires,this does not significantly increase the pressure.

Once the desired temperature is reached, heat will flow upward, andcause thermal depolymerization of the tires and/or other materials. Thedesired temperature range for thermal depolymerization of the rubberpresent in the tires is between around 100 and 280° C., though at thehigher end of this temperature range, products with lower molecularweights tend to be formed, and at the lower end of this temperaturerange, products with higher molecular weights tend to be formed.

Water is also added, typically through in inlet port at or near thebottom of the reactor. The water allows one to have some control overthe reaction temperature. While not wishing to be bound to a particulartheory, it is also believed that when tires are thermally depolymerized,iron present in the steel belts reacts with carbon monoxide formed as aresult of incomplete combustion (i.e., by using less than stoichiometricoxygen) and the water that is introduced to form hydrogen, in a manneranalogous to that in the “steam-iron” process. The thus-formed hydrogencan break sulfur-sulfur and carbon-sulfur linkages present in thevulcanized rubber used in tires, and form hydrogen sulfide and othersulfur-containing products (including, but not limited to, COS).

The process described herein is unique, in that it allows one to havesome degree of control over the product distribution. For example, if itis desired to produce methane as a major product, the depolymerizationreaction can be run at a relatively higher temperature, and if it isdesired to isolate more of the monomers, the depolymerization reactioncan be run at a relatively lower temperature.

Regardless of the temperatures at which the bulk of the depolymerizationtakes place, the temperature will tend to rise when the reaction nearscompletion.

The temperature in the retort is monitored during the thermaldepolymerization step. The temperature can be monitored at multiplelocations within the retort chamber. For example, thecombustion/smoldering of tires and/or other material at or near thebottom of the reactor can be monitored to ensure that the temperaturestays in the range of 800-1300° C., more typically, 900-1300° C. Thetemperature in the depolymerization zone can be monitored to ensure thatthe temperature stays in the range of between about 150 and 550° C.,more typically, between about 250-550° C. or between about 150 and 450°C., and/or the temperature of the products leaving the retort chambercan be monitored to ensure that the temperature stays in the range ofbetween about 100 and about 280° C.

As the temperatures reach their appropriate ranges, gaseous productsevolve from the port or ports. From there, the gaseous products can besubjected to a cyclone to remove particulates, a desulfurization step toremove hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur-containing products, and acooling process to allow products which are liquid at room temperatureto be separated from those which are gaseous at room temperature. Thegaseous products can be collected and stored, burned, or used togenerate electricity.

The cooling process can be adjusted as desired, to combine all of thegas and all of the liquid products, or to separately isolate one or moreliquid fractions and/or one or more gas fractions.

As the reaction proceeds, tires and/or other materials at or near thebottom of the retort chamber are consumed, and, using gravity, materialsfrom higher above the consumed materials then proceed down the retortchamber until they are depolymerized.

After the reaction is complete, which can be judged, for example, bychanges in temperature in the various zones, the reaction can bequenched, for example, by introducing water through a valve at or nearthe top of the retort chamber.

When the retort chamber has sufficiently cooled, the water can bedrained, and solid materials can be removed from the retort chamber.

In one embodiment, this involves opening a hinge at the bottom of theretort chamber to release the materials. In another embodiment, thisinvolves removing the top, decoupling the outlet port, and rotating theretort around a hinge with a horizontal axis located at or near themiddle of the retort. The materials then fall out of the top of theretort chamber, and the retort chamber can then be moved back to itsoriginal upright position.

Products of Thermal De-Manufacturing of Tires

The products obtained from thermally de-manufacturing tires tend toinclude carbon black, sulfur compounds, steel (from steel belts), aliquid, largely olefinic, fraction with properties similar to number 2diesel, methane gas, a C₂₋₄ fraction, and one or more additional gases,such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and hydrogen. Asdiscussed above, in some embodiments, the olefins in the olefinicfraction can further react to form dimers, trimers, and oligomers,cycloaliphatics, aliphatics, and/or aromatics. Removing the solidproducts from the retort chamber while they are still wet can facilitatethe isolation of carbon black.

EXAMPLES

The present invention will be better understood with reference to thefollowing non-limiting example.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of the retortchamber described herein. The retort chamber (10) includes a top (20), abottom (30), a hinge (40) at the top and/or the bottom, to enable theuser to insert material to be thermally depolymerized and/or to removeinorganic material and other remnants which remain following the thermaldepolymerization process, temperature sensors (50) near the top, nearthe bottom, and between the top and the bottom of the retort chamber, acarriage (60) for receiving a burner (70), two inlet ports (80) near thebottom of the retort chamber, and one inlet port (80) near the top ofthe retort chamber, and an outlet port (90) between the top and thebottom of the retort chamber. Along the bottom, in line with and abovethe burner, is a register (100). The material to be thermallydepolymerized overlies the register.

In use, material to be thermally depolymerized is introduced to theretort chamber (10), ideally by opening the hinge (40) at the top of theretort chamber (10), which hinge (40) is closed after the material isintroduced. Oxygen or air is inserted through one of the bottom inletports (80), and the burner (70) is introduced through the carriage (60).The oxygen/air passes through a register (100), which allows forsubstantially even heating as the burner (70) and oxygen travel alongthe bottom of the reactor (20) and over the register (100).

The amount of oxygen/air is insufficient to result in rapid combustionof the material to be combusted. Instead, this results in the partialcombustion, or smoldering, of the bottom layer of the material to becombusted (such as tires). The temperature at or near the bottom (30) ofthe retort (10) is monitored using a temperature sensor (50), so as toremain in the range of between about 900 and 1300° F. Water is added tothe retort (10) through a second inlet port (80) at or near the bottomof the retort (20). The water may react with iron to form hydrogen andiron oxide, for example, where the material to be thermallydepolymerized comprises tires, and the tires comprise steel belts.

As the thermal depolymerization takes place, the temperature in themiddle of the retort chamber rises to a desired range, as measured by asecond thermal sensor (50), and a thermal depolymerization product isproduced. This material exits the retort (10) through an exit port (90).

The temperature at or near the top of the reactor (20) can be measuredusing a third temperature sensor (50).

When the reaction is complete, the retort can be cooled by adding morewater through the inlet port (80) at or near the bottom of the reactor,and, optionally, through the inlet port (80) at or near the top of thereactor (20). Inorganic material and other material that is not consumedin the depolymerization reaction can be removed, for example, by openinga hinge (40) near the bottom of the reactor.

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of another embodiment of the retortchamber described herein. In this embodiment, as with the previousembodiment, the retort chamber (10) includes a top (20) and bottom (30),temperature sensors (50), a carriage (60) for a burner (not shown),inlet ports (80) at the bottom (30) and top (20) of the retort (10), anoutlet port (90), and a register (100). However, in addition to hinge(40) at or near the top (20) of the retort (10), there are hinges (40)at or near the middle of the retort chamber (10), which permit theretort (10) to be rotated. In use, the retort is used in substantiallythe same way as the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. However, when thethermal depolymerization step is completed, the remnants can be removedby opening the top of the retort (20) and rotating the retort (10) usingthe hinges at or near the middle of the retort (40).

FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of the retort chamber described herein. As withthe other figures, the retort (10) includes a top (20) and bottom (30),a hinge at or near the top (40), inlet ports (80) at the bottom and topof the retort, and temperature sensors (50) at or near the top andbottom, and between the top and bottom, of the retort. A burner (70) ispartway inserted into the carriage (60). The sides of the retort (10)are shown as being filled with refractory material (110).

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of one embodiment of an apparatus tocollect products as they leave the retort chamber. The retort chamber(10) is connected to an outlet port (90), and the products areoptionally passed through a cyclone chamber (120) to remove solidparticulates and/or a desulfurization chamber to desulfurize thematerials while they are still in the gas phase. The optionallydesulfurized material passes through one or more chilling/condensationunits (140), and material that liquefies is collected in one or morecollection vessels (150). The depolymerization reaction is carried outunder vacuum, and vacuum is achieved using a vacuum pump (160). Thevacuum pump (160) is, indirectly, connected to the retort (10) throughthe intervening cyclone chamber chilling/condensation units (140),optional desulfurization chamber (130), optional cyclone (120) and exitport (10). Gaseous material passes through the chilling/condensationunits (140) and through the vacuum pump (160), where it is optionallyflared using a flare (170).

In other embodiments, not shown, the gaseous materials can be passedthrough a demethanization column, and the C₂₋₄ products collected underpressure. The C₁ and lower products (methane, carbon dioxide, carbonmonoxide, hydrogen, and the like) can be bottled under pressure, ifdesired, for later use, as an alternative to being flared. Directrelease of these gases to the atmosphere is undesirable.

Various publications are cited herein, the disclosures of which areincorporated by reference in their entireties for all purposes.

The present invention is not to be limited in scope by the specificembodiments described herein. Indeed, various modifications of theinvention in addition to those described will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art from the foregoing description and accompanyingfigures. Such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of theappended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A retort chamber comprising: a) a top, b) abottom, c) a heater at or near the bottom of the retort chamber capableof heating the bottom to a temperature between about 900 and 1300° C.,d) two or more inlet ports located at or near the bottom of the retortchamber, e) one or more outlet ports located at or near the top of theretort chamber, f) temperature monitors at or near the top and bottom ofthe retort chamber, g) a temperature monitor located at a positionbetween about 30 and about 70% of the distance between the top and thebottom of the retort chamber, and h) a vacuum line or aspirator locatedin the upper third of the retort chamber, wherein the retort chamber hasa cylindrical shape.
 2. The retort chamber of claim 1, wherein theheater is a burner placed on a carriage, which carriage is adapted toallow the burner to move along the bottom of the retort chamber.
 3. Theretort chamber of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the retort chambercomprises a plurality of registers, which registers are spaced so as toprovide substantially equal pressure along the entire bottom of theretort, wherein substantially equal means that the pressure along thebottom of the retort chamber does not vary by more than 20%.
 4. Theretort chamber of claim 1, wherein one or more of the inlet ports isadapted to receive a supply of water to be introduced into the retortchamber.
 5. The retort chamber of claim 1, further comprising one ormore inlet ports at or near the top of the retort chamber, which inletports are adapted to receive a supply of water to be introduced into theretort chamber.
 6. The retort chamber of claim 1, wherein one or more ofthe inlet ports is adapted to receive a supply of air or oxygen to beintroduced into the retort chamber.
 7. The retort chamber of claim 1,wherein the bottom is hinged, and, when open, allows for material to beremoved from the retort chamber.
 8. The retort chamber of claim 1,wherein the top is hinged, and, when open, allows for material to beinserted into or removed from, the retort chamber.
 9. The retort chamberof claim 8, further comprising a hinge with a horizontal axis, adaptedto allow the retort chamber to rotate, allowing for material to beremoved from the retort chamber when the lid is open and the retortchamber is rotated such that the top of the retort chamber is lower thanthe bottom of the retort chamber.
 10. The retort chamber of claim 1,further comprising a desulfurization unit attached to one of the outletports.
 11. The retort chamber of claim 1, further comprising a cycloneunit attached to one of the outlet ports, wherein the cyclone unit isadapted to remove particulates from a gaseous product stream exiting theoutlet port.
 12. The retort chamber of claim 1, further comprising achilling or condensation unit attached to one of the outlet ports, whichchilling or condensation unit is adapted to receive and cool a productstream that is in the gas phase at the temperature at which it entersthe chilling or condensation unit, and, when cooled, at least a portionof the product stream is in the liquid phase.
 13. The retort chamber ofclaim 12, further comprising a vacuum line or aspirator, wherein thevacuum line or aspirator is attached to the chilling or condensationunit.
 14. A process for thermally de-manufacturing tires and/or othermaterials, comprising: a) loading the retort chamber of claim 1 withtires and/or other materials, b) purging the retort chamber of volatilesand air, such that a vacuum in the range of between approximately −0.8and −200 millibars is present in the retort chamber, c) heating aportion of the tires and/or other materials at or near the bottom of theretort chamber to a temperature between about 900 and 1300° C., and d)thermally depolymerizing the tires and/or other materials to form aproduct stream which exits the retort chamber through one or more of theoutlet ports, which product stream is in the gas phase while exiting theretort chamber, while maintaining the temperature in the zone where theproducts leave the retort chamber at a temperature between about 100 and280° C.
 15. The process of claim 14, wherein the pressure is betweenabout −6 and −8 millibars.
 16. The process of claim 14, wherein thetemperature is maintained by adding water and/or air or oxygen throughtwo or more of the inlet ports.
 17. The process of claim 14, wherein thetires to be thermally de-manufactured comprises steel-belted tires, andwherein water reacts with the steel in the steel-belted tires at atemperature between about 900 and 1300° C. to form hydrogen.
 18. Theprocess of claim 17, wherein the tires comprise vulcanized rubber whichcomprises sulfur-sulfur and/or sulfur-carbon linkages, and the hydrogenbreaks the sulfur-sulfur and/or sulfur-carbon linkages in the vulcanizedrubber.
 19. The process of claim 14, further comprising subjecting theproduct stream to desulfurization conditions.
 20. The process of claim14, further comprising subjecting the product stream to a cyclone toremove particulates.
 21. The process of claim 14, wherein the productstream comprises one or more products which are liquid at roomtemperature and atmospheric pressure, and one or more products which aregaseous at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, further comprisingsubjecting the product stream to a chiller or condenser unit, so as tocondense a portion of the products which are liquid at room temperatureand atmospheric pressure.
 22. The process of claim 14, wherein the tiresand/or other material being thermally de-manufactured undergo a thermaldepolymerization reaction in that part of the reactor between where thetemperature is between about 900 and about 1300° C., and where thetemperature is between about 100 and about 280° C.
 23. The process ofclaim 22, wherein the tires being burned at or near the bottom of thereactor provide heat energy for the thermal depolymerization step. 24.The process of claim 22, wherein the product composition varies as thetemperature of the product stream varies from about 100 to about 280°C., with relatively more of the product composition having a relativelylow molecular weight as the temperature is relatively higher, andrelatively more of the product composition having a relatively highmolecular weight as the temperature is relatively lower.
 25. The processof claim 14, wherein the temperature of the thermal depolymerizationstep, and, accordingly, the product composition, is controlled byadjusting the amount of water and/or air or oxygen through two or moreinlet ports.
 26. The process of claim 14, wherein, after the thermaldepolymerization step is complete, the retort chamber is cooled byintroducing water into the retort chamber through one or more of theinlet ports at or near the top of the retort chamber and/or an inletport at or near the bottom of the retort chamber.